Cracker Barrel apologizes after Maryland restaurant refused to serve special needs students

Cracker Barrel issued an apology after one of its Maryland locations refused to serve a group of local students with special needs.

The chain claimed that it was unable to accommodate the large party of students for reasons unrelated to their disabilities but recognized that the situation was “unfortunate.”

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“Our missteps last week were unfortunate but were unrelated to the students’ capabilities,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch Monday.

“They were due to our inability to accommodate a party of 18 that arrived when we were facing unexpected staffing issues and had partially closed our second dining room.”

It also noted that the Waldorf restaurant’s initial response was handled poorly due to pitfalls in the team’s protocols.

“Our failure to follow certain operational protocols combined with poor communication on our part then led to misunderstandings and misperceptions,” the statement said.

Charles County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Navarro penned an open letter addressing the incident on Dec. 5. The field trip included 11 students and seven faculty part of its community-based instruction course aimed at “generalizing skills they are learning in the classroom in the community.”

The CBI program often visits local retail and restaurants, with Cracker Barrel on a list of approved dining spots, according to the letter.

Navarro wrote that the program leaders had reached out to the restaurant in advance and were told that a reservation wouldn’t be necessary, but their tune changed.

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When the group arrived they weren’t able to be seated due to the capacity and staffing issues noted in Cracker Barrel’s apology and were offered takeout instead, according to the letter.

The group had suggested splitting up to sit at separate tables, but the location still refused, a teacher wrote in an email to parents in the school district.

“The alleged treatment of CCPS students, and staff, at Cracker Barrel is one that no one should experience. However, it is encouraging to learn that the district manager said the business would be willing to work with CCPS to do better,” Navarro wrote in the letter.

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Following the group’s rejection, other local establishments came to lend a hand and offered to host the program’s students in the future. Frustrated parents took to social media to slam the biscuit-and-gravy chain — with some even planning further action.

Dustin Reed, a local father whose nonverbal daughter was on the outing, is organizing a protest at the Maryland location on Dec. 15, according to a Facebook post.

“Pushed off to the side, and just not even paid attention to. Only thing they wanted to go in there to do was eat some food and enjoy their time there and learn from it,” Reed told NBC Washington.